


(For You) I'll Be there (ON HOLD)

by Fand0m_trashh



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Developing Friendships, Epic Friendship, Eventual Romance, Gay Keith (Voltron), Hurt Lance (Voltron), Insecure Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is a Good Boyfriend, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Canon Compliant, Oblivious, Out of Character, Short Chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-01-31 10:14:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21444562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fand0m_trashh/pseuds/Fand0m_trashh
Summary: Because he just wanted to be noticed.  He wanted to be seen. He wanted to be standing beside that boy that fought so freaking hard to be where he was.And Lance wanted him to turn around. To see him and know that yeah, this dude is pretty damn good.But that never happened.-In which Lance is a sad, insecure boi from the Start and Keith is there to boost his very confidence.*inspired by the beautiful, uplifting song 'll be there' by Jess Glynne
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 60





	1. Lance M.

**Author's Note:**

> THIS STORY IS NOT CANON COMPLIANT AT ALL.
> 
> Lance is a mess.
> 
> Keith cares too much.
> 
> And everyone else is on for the ride.
> 
> Rating may change in later chapters.
> 
> Short chapters between 500-2k words.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

**ARC ONE:**

Ever since he was 13, Lance was always one or two step behind.

He worked and worked and pushed himself until he would literally almost pass out but he was  _ still behind _ .

Always behind. Rather it be just by a step or three he was always behind.

And he would push, and continue and get frustrated and feel  _ nothing _ because  _ he _ never noticed him.

It was always going to be him, huh?

The boy that had anger and abandonment issue would be the one to be the best at something Lance dreamed his while life about. 

He wasn't bitter.

He wasn't raging inside.

Just sad.

_ Lonely.  _

Because he just wanted to be noticed. He wanted to be seen. He wanted to be standing beside that boy that fought so freaking hard to be where he was.

And Lance wanted him to turn around. To see him and know that  _ yeah, this dude is pretty damn good _ .

But that never happened.

It never fucking happened and Lance felt just as helpless as he did before his parents approved of sending him to Garrison.

"You're only 14, Lance." His mother says in a stern, but thick accent. "We all want you to live your dream and be the best. Do this for us and for yourself."

And it hurt, more than Lance could ever admit out loud, how much it hurt to say that he was failure.

He wasnt the best in his class. He struggled in almost every class and aspect of becoming the best and barely passed with an exceptional B.

Think would always get upset with him when he would see Lance buried in his studies, would always complain about how  _ much _ Lance was working. How much Lance didn't have time to be doing anything else other than practicing and reading.

Lance would feel his defensive come up like a tornado and he would end up shouting and Hink for not understand.

"You Don't get it Hunk! No one fucking does! I have to get up there."

And Hunk would just take it with these sad awful eyes and would simply let Lance seethe. Let him build until Lance was a bundle of sleep deprivation and panic and would pull Lance towards him and let him just  _ cry _ .

but Lance wanted to be like him. Wanted to be good as him.

It was years of this. Years if catching up and fighting and crying just to start all over again.

Until he left. And Lance felt like he could breathe.

And things were easier at first.

He felt like he was finally there. Felt like there was no more catching up.

So, when there was an opportunity for Lance to prove to everyone that he wasn't a fucking failure, with Lance running off to catch up to the boy he was always behind, with Hunk and Pidge on his tail, he took it without a thought.

What hurt more than anything, after everything that Lance has tried to be seen and heard, he still got the reaction he knew he'd get.

He remembers  _ Kogane  _ expression before he spoke up 

Sharp perfect eyebrows pinched together. A frown edged into pink dull lips with wild hair that Lance felt like came straight our of the 80s and Lance could do was stare and stare and  _ stare _ -

" _ Who are you?" _

And Lance felt himself crumble inside. Felt the bitterness take over and the envy and the  _ lon _ eliness expand within himself all over again, except two times stronger.

" _ Uh, the names  _ ** _Lance._ ** "

But Kogane still looked at him as if he were a complete stranger. Like he never realized that Lance has been on his tail, looking up to him since he was just 13 years old. 

How could he not know. 

_ How does he  _ ** _not _ ** _ know- _

And Lance just didn't know what hurt worse.

The fact that Kogane wasn't able to recognize the one person that was always just a few points behind him?

Or perhaps that he felt like he was always invisible in everyone's eyes.

Both.

Both are equally as bad.

And just like that, Lance felt like he was lonely all over again.

  
  



	2. 2. Lance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is there to greet him with a small little private smile that only seemed to be for him that makes Lance shiver and warms almost ten times over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY EARLY THANKSGIVING!!

If you were to ask Lance why he did it, he would simply tell you that is a quick instinct to  _ protect _ .

Something that manifested within him when it came to Voltron and it's only been a month. He didn't know that he would become so attached to the group until in that moment.

Because, when he jumped in front of Keith to save him from the blast one of the galra were trying to hit him with, he didn't even second guess his actions. He just did it without a coherent thought in mind.

Now that he is thinking about it, that really wasn't a good idea as the blast could've been fatal. But, he just didn't care.

Because, his main thought was " **NO** ."

and he just lunged and-

He remembers that pained cry that slipped from his lips and falling back with the force of the searing fucking  _ hot pained  _ blast. He would've fell down hard, probably could have smacked his head hard against the smooth floor bur-

Strong arms caught him and he can hear the pure  _ panic  _ coming from Keith's mouth.

" _ Lance???!" _

And wow, Lance never heard Kieth sound like that unless Shiro blacked out or got sidetracked during training.

It was raw, and new to have it used against hi.

It made him feel all warm and giddy like a little kids having their first sleepover and-

Lance didn't know how to deal with it.

Lance tried to smile, crack a joke, anything because when he made eye contact with Keith, seeing how broken he looked, it made Lance want to calm the situation.

But instead he hissed in pain, hand shooting out to grip onto Keith's forearm of the armor because holy shit, is it suppose to hurt this much? Even with the armor on??

  
  


"Keith-' He begin, not even knowing what he was going to say, but Keith was already shaking his head, his arms tightening around his torso for a split second before he eased his grip. 

"Don't speak yet. I'm gonna take this asshole down."

And wow, hearing Keith speak like that, with the determination, anger, but also pure confidence, shouldn't have made Lance flush molten hot and have his heart beating faster.

Then, kieth was gone and Lance wanted to freak out because, Keith is leaving him and oh god he just  _ knew _ he was never good enough. He just knew that he was the weakest, and had nothing to offer out of everyone and that shouldn't hurt as much as it did because he was getting used the team and being together and-

"Hey hey, don't freak out on me now."

Keith?

"Yeah, hey look at me."

And Lance felt a touch against his face, noticed the hand feeling quite warm pressed up against his cheek and neck and his head was then being turned and Keith-oh stupidly beautiful confident Keith- had a soft fond look on his face that was dampened by apparent worry.

Lance didn't know how he managed it. Doesn't know what made him say this or do this but.

Grabbing and Keith's other hand and squeezing it, he said:

** _"We did it. We are a good team."_ **

And the surprised look transforming into something genuine and soft and wow, has Keith's eyes always been this pretty up close?

  
  


■□■□■

the wakes up from the pod feeling stiff and tense, but healed.

Keith is there to greet him with a small little private smile that only seemed to be for him that makes Lance shiver and warms almost ten times over.

And the only thing Lance can think of after that is:

**S H I T.**

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed:)


	3. 3. Lance M.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance felt the slither of shame and guilt and anxiety slither up his stomach into his throat like a snake. It clutched onto him just as Keith's gaze did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. Sorry for being gone for like, almost a month. Things have been quite wild in my life.
> 
> This chapter is going to sting a little bit.
> 
> Lance is a panic, depressed idiot.

Lance kept his distance from Keith for about two weeks after that incident.

During breakfast, he kept to himself, ate his breakfast, and excused himself as soon as he was able to. He caught a few glances from Keith himself and the confused frown that morphed around his mouth just dug the nervousness and pure anxiety deeper than where it was.

Pidge had the blunt courage to straight up ask him what was up after five days of successfully avoiding Keith and "why are you avoiding Keith like he's sick?"

Lance averted his eyes from her narrowed.  _ Knowing _ eyes and mumbled something unintelligent before changing the subject.

Pidge just rolled her eyes at him and let it go, which Lance appreciate.

He was  _ not _ about to spill about the stupid  _ stupid _ crush he now has on Keith just because he looked at him with a soft look that set Lance's nerves on fire. It was already hard enough not to make smart-ass sarcastic remarks towards Keith let alone, not being able to-no, not  _ wanting to _ \- throw lower-tier insults towards Keith.

Things got worse when Keith stopped him from walking into his room after dinner.

His face was scrunched up in worry and confusion, eyebrows pinched sharply in a downward angle that made Lance hart stutter.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Lance flinched a little at Keith's blatant question, looking at the way Keith stood tall, but tension clinging his entire being that it was so obvious.

"No."

Lance mumbled, having to turn his head because those damn eyes were boring into him.

Keith took a determined step forward, which made Lance stumble back a step, head snapping up to look up at Keith's expression.

"Really?" Keith begins.

"Because it sure as felt like it for weeks now. You can barely look at me. Haven't been throwing your little remarks at me. Making sure their is distance when everyone is together."

Lance felt the slither of shame and guilt and anxiety slither up his stomach into his throat like a snake. It clutched onto him just as Keith's gaze did.

_ Why is he doing this to himself?? _

Since the Garrison, since becoming something of a team. . . A secondary  _ family _ , he still feels like _ nothing.  _ Still feels like he isn't worth much other than a simple human Blue picked for the time sake.

It felt like he was just a pawn into this world, into this team, this stupid war-

"Lance."

Keith's voice snapped Pance out of his internal tyrade.

"Hey," voice awfully soft and gentle, there was a small touch again against his wrist. "Hey, talk to me. Are you okay?"

Keith's touch damn near burned Lance. His skin was warm soft, but also hard.

Lance sucks in a shaky air.

"It's," he had to swallow, the crack in his voice making him cringe a little. "It's not you. I just… been going through something."

Wow, Lance. Thay was such a lame excuse.

But Keith didn't back up. 

Instead, his grip became firm against Lance's wrist, his thump unconsciously pressing against Lance's pulsepoint that made Lance's heart stutter through all the chaotic madness going on with his emotions.

"We all go through things Lance. Talk to me."

Keith sounded so understanding and that made Lance feel just as worse.

"Oh?" Lance new he shouldn't.

Knows that what he is about to say will sound harsh and rude and so not needed in this moment but-but-

"Kinda like how  _ you _ keep your emotions bottled up to yourself? Like how you Barely talk to your teammates and  _ act _ like your better than all of us? I don't think I wanna talk to you about anything right now."

The words spat out like poison. Venom and misguided anger flowing out of Lance like a monster.

Keith eyes were wide as he let go of Lance like he just shocked him. In a way, Lance guess that he did.

"Lance…"

Keith's voice sounds so wounded and shocked.

Lance felt the tears coming before they actually formed.

He turned around abruptly, striding in a fast pace toward his room.

"Leave me alone Keith."

He says in a wobbly voice, not being able.to hide this  _ emotion  _ any longer.

As soon as the door slid closed with an automatic lock in place, Lance wasn't able to hold his sobs in as he slid down the door.

He is doing this to himself. He knows this. 

But it still hurts. And he's not sure if he is able to fix it. If he is able to genuinely get back up from it.

It's unfortunate that he is too cowardly to admit that this is an easy fix.

Only if his mind would listen to his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 🤙🏾 have a rad day!


	4. 4. Lance M.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Lance remembers stepping forward, wanting to say something, to reach out towards Keith, but he was stuck, frozen if he must say, when he saw the distraught look plastered on Keith's face as he moved at a fast pace to get away from everyone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY NEW YEARS BITCHES!

The day Voltron fought Zarkon to the best of their abilities (and won) was the same day Shiro had magically disappeared from Black without an actual trace.

It was also the same day Keith didn't speak with anyone after coming back from that difficult battle.

Lance remembers stepping forward, wanting to say something, to reach out towards Keith, but he was stuck, frozen if he must say, when he saw the distraught look plastered on Keith's face as he moved at a fast pace to get away from everyone.

"He'll come around."

Allura had said that day as the team watched him stalk off with high tense shoulders and his Paladin helmet gripped under his arms.

But he hasn't.

It's been five days after the disappearance and no one has barely seen him. 

Things have become eerily quiet since the disappearance. There has been no stress calls, no alerts, battles, nor missions, since that battle and Lance personally wasn't sure if he should be relieved or happy about the fact.

Dinner was weirdly quiet without Keith or Shiro and Lance didn't know how to feel about it.

Lance himself has grasped the fact that Shiro was gone. He's sure everyone has. But Lance doubted that he just no longer existed. He was just blasted somewhere . . . Else.

There is no way that Shiro could officially. . . Legitimately gone. He was their  _ leader.  _ They aren't able to form Voltron  _ without  _ Shiro.

It stung, having him gone. Through Lance off more than he already was and Lance could only imagine what Keith is going through.

Everyone know how close the two are. Shiro pretty much took Keith in as his guardian at the mere age of 15 when he was 21 and it was the talk for a solid two weeks after that.

Lance walks down the deserted hallway, everything eerily quiet at he thinks about Keith and how he was possibly holding up.

They haven't talked much.

Well, it isn't like they talked any before  _ this _ but . . . It felt even worse than what is was before.

Lance know he's at fault for part of it.

Keith has definitely been keeping his distance from Lance since that night He snapped at him.

Keith could barely look him in the eye after that and Lance could only feel  _ guilt guilt guilt _ because of it.

And shame and irritation and anger towards himself.

It was a mixed up mess and for weeks now, Lance has been trying to find a nonchalant way to apologize.

_ Because just being himself and being sincere didn't somehow come to mind. _

But now. . . Lance didn't want Keith to be struggling on his own.

And no, it's not because Lance wouldn't be able to deal if Keith his stupid pretty eyes ditched dinner once again.

It was. . . weird for Lance.

The strong urge to  _ prove _ himself was still lit like a perm fire in his heart. 

But the urge to comfort and  _ make-up _ filled his entire being.

So, he begin to search. 

No, wasn't in his room.

Not in the train area.

Definitely not in the lounging area.

Lance was losing all hope of speaking with Keith tonight when he passed the hangars where the lions lay resting and re-charging.

Lance just  _ knew _ that he would find Keith in there.

So, he walked in and begin to walk, searching and looking side-to-side to find who he was looking for. It wasn't until passing Red and coming towards Black that he heard the sniffling of someone trying.

_ Shit _ .

Lance has never dealt with a crying Keith. Hell, he guiltingly didn't know that stubborn, hot-headed Keith was one to cry at all. 

"Keith?"

His uncertain voice traveled from where he stood motionless. He refused to scare Keith off because he was too much of an ass to not let him know that he was around.

The sniffling came to an abrupt stop and Lance heard some movement and shuffling.

". . . Lance?"

Keith voice sounded hoarse and broken and Lance's heart squeezed painfully in his chest.

"Hey," Lance said, voice drawn out and uncertain.

There was movement coming around the corner and Lance finally saw Keith.

He looked liked someone ran him over.

Twice.

Face was blotchy and hair was unkempt and all over the place.

Keith sniffed, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Whay are you doing here Lance?"

Keith sounded. . . Numb? Defeated?

More than likely both.

Lance really really didn't like that.

"I wanted to see how you were doing?"

Keith looks up and hard purple eyes meet sincere blue one?

"Oh?"

Lance could here the bite into that one word and visibly flinched. 

He deserved that.

Lance sighed, letting his shoulder drop and his eyes briefly close before he opened them back up to look at Keith's expression.

"Look," he begin, taking a cautious step forward and realizing that Keith wasn't going to back up and away, he continued forth with, "I know I have been kinda an asshole towards you for the last two months and-"

Keith snorts-

"-And I know that you don't really deserve and I just want to say that I am really sorry."

By the time he was finished, he was but only a few feet from Keith, he still had his arms cross but was looking up at Lance with curious bloodshot eyes.

They stared at each other for a while before Lance had the guts to ask:

"It's hard, isn't it?"

Surprisingly though, his voice was soft and Keith's reaction was immediate.

"Yeah." His voiced, sounding shaky but somewhat relieved to say and admit it.

Keith lets his arms drop to his side, sharp movement from his head to get his hair out of his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Lance says, eyes never leaving Keith's.

To Lance's surprise, Keith takes three large steps towards him before he falls into Lance's arms, shoulders shaking with more force from his now crying.

Lance, shocked but not taken aback, wraps his arms around Keith's shoulder and back, hand smoothing over his arm as he let's Keith cry and sniffle against his chest.

"I'm  _ so _ sorry."

His tone saying more than his words.

Keith's pressing himself close to Lance to the point where they had to lean against Blue gave him all that he needed to know that Keith forgave him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yall ready for some cuddly, protective Shiro in the next few chapters!
> 
> Having Keith go with the blade soon will be done differently than what Voltron the series did.  
Yes, ofc he will still go through his trial and we all find out that he is half galra but, all at once in a way, we fond out about his mother and he isn't gone for long periods of time(as spoken about several chapters back)
> 
> Thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for stopping by to read this!


End file.
